The special envoy for British citizens detained overseas has spoken about the difficulties he faces in his new role, as families express concern over the position’s mandate in complex consular cases.
In his first public engagement, Alistair Burt, the former Conservative Middle East minister, spoke candidly about the difficulties and limitations of the new appointment, made following years of mounting criticism of how the Foreign Office handled the cases of British citizens detained overseas.
“I don’t make policy. I’m not a minister. I don’t have that authority. It will ultimately be the foreign secretary and the prime minister who will need to make the changes in policy or changes in approach if required,” Burt told an audience in Westminster, following his appointment on Monday evening.
“The best thing I can do is not disguise from you the difficulties of the role,” added the former minister.
Burt, who plans to meet the new foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, later this week, was tipped for the post more than a year ago. Burt was candid about the complexities of detention cases and of his role to “kick the tyres” of the policies involved.
The former Middle East minister, whose new role is appointed by the Foreign Office but not paid for by it, said he has already started to meet families of those with complex cases, and said there was “much to be gained” from stronger international condemnation.
There is a strong view that the US special presidential envoy for hostages has secured more success and clout inside the diplomatic system, and used more innovative techniques to negotiate the release of Americans. Burt said he plans to meet his US and Canadian counterparts in the coming weeks, and is open to discussing broader cooperation with European leaders.
The Foreign Office describes the purpose of the role as being to advance the government’s commitment to British nationals in the “most difficult and complex detention cases overseas” at the direction of the foreign secretary. The role is intended to advocate within and represent government, and engage with families.
Speaking alongside Burt at Monday’s parliamentary event was Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a dual national who was arbitrarily detained in Iran for six years before being released in 2022. A documentary was played showing the ordeal her family went through to secure her release, as well as that of Anoosheh Ashoori, for whom a historic £400m debt was paid to Iran.
“I recognised the payment of the debt and I let my foreign secretary know repeatedly,” said Burt of Nazanin’s case, adding, “I got that one right.” That wasn’t the case, he admitted, for Matthew Hedges, a British academic sitting beside him, who was accused of spying for the UK government in the United Arab Emirates and was arrested and tortured.
“Other cases I didn’t handle as well as I would have liked,” said Burt. “I’m very grateful that Matthew has seen me since to talk about his experiences.”
While welcoming the appointment, Zaghari-Ratcliffe also expressed a fear of quiet diplomacy turning into an “excuse” for government inaction. Lawyers and campaigners at the event also expressed concerns over the limited mandate of the special envoy role, and called for the position to be independent of the Foreign Office and for the UK to be bolder in its diplomacy.
In attendance was also Laila Soueif, who went on hunger strike in pursuit of freedom for her son, British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah, who was released from jail in 2025 after serving six years, as well as Naomi Connell, a friend of Lindsay Foreman and Craig Foreman, who has campaigned for the couple’s release from Iran’s Evin prison.
Also present was Heather Cornelius, whose husband, Ryan, has been arbitrarily imprisoned in Dubai for more than 18 years. The family discussed their case with Burt when he was a minister in 2018, said Heather, expressing scepticism over whether the envoy role, which runs for 18 months, will do anything other than liaise with and reassure families.
“He’s not going in there saying, ‘Yes, I know I can make a difference, I know I can help these people’. He’s not saying that. He’s just saying, ‘well, it’s very difficult’,” said Cornelius, who delivered a letter to Andy Burnham earlier on Monday, asking for the prime minister to help secure her husband’s release.
“They’re relying on other countries being involved, and of course that’s good, but Britain can do something, and they can do more,” she added.
